Day Three | February 24

Our Conqueror

They called Him “Messiah” – the One who was to come. And they had waited. The people longed for this leader to arrive, to throw o their bondage and conquer their enemies. In their minds, they imagined great armies and a general with the courage of David and the wisdom of Solomon. That was the way to conquer once and for all. Psalm 22:27 was written on their hearts, “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.”

That was God’s intent. How it happened, though, came in a mystery that confounded the experts. Jesus appeared as an ordinary man, a carpenter. He preached and demonstrated a Kingdom of grace and glory through miraculous signs and healings. He entered Jerusalem, not on a white horse brandishing spear and sword, as they imagined the conqueror would come, but on a humble donkey. And He constantly told them that His conquering would come in a way that was scandalous to them: His death on a cross. In fact, He had warned them of the nature of His conquering in John 12:31-32: “Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

It was a promise that sounded like the fulfillment of all Israel’s hope – a fulfillment of sacred words scattered throughout the Psalms and Prophets … but it came not in the way they expected. Much of Israel’s hope was well placed. God did intend to save His people. God did intend to end tyranny and abuse and oppression. But God chose a Kingdom not of this world. He chose a Kingdom where the first were last and where love was the greatest power. And Jesus would establish this Kingdom through becoming a crucified King.

So often, we want to conquer our problems with the tools of this world. Give us more power, money, and success we say, and then we will live God’s way.

Jesus says to us: if you want to conquer, go and practice the Beatitudes. These are the tools you will use:

• Being poor in spirit

• Being people who mourn

• Being meek

• Being those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

• Being merciful

• Being pure in heart

• Being peacemakers

• Being willing to be persecuted without fighting back

We conquer by being acutely aware of the Kingdom of God all around us. We open ourselves to the miracles of every day. We look at life not just with our eyes, but with our hearts. We find ways to spend time with God. And then, we listen. We learn from the unforced rhythms of Jesus’ life. The poet Adelaide A. Pollard captured so well for us how we conquer:

The Secret Place

“There is a place where thou canst touch the eyes Of blinded men to instant, perfect sight;

There is a place where thou canst say, ‘Arise!’ To dying captives, bound in chains of night.

There is a place where thou canst reach the store Of hoarded gold, and free it for the Lord;

There is a place here, or on a distant shore, Where thou canst send the worker and the Word.

20 WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?

There is a place where heaven’s resistless power Responsive moves to thine insistent plea;

There is a place, a silent holy hour, Where God Himself descends and works for thee.

Where is that secret place? - dost thou ask, ‘Where?’

O soul, it is the secret place of prayer!”